The word gargoyle comes from the Latin garg, which means throat, and from the old French goule (mouth). In the 13th century, the builders found a solution to avoid the accumulation of moss due to running water from the roof. They built channels that are the ancestors of gutters. On churches and cathedrals, the gargoyles were responsible for evacuating water away from the walls. Twenty-three of them adorn Metz Cathedral, divided into three categories: human characters, animals, and monsters.